Overview

This page describes the set of applications being developed by the core set of OpenMoko developers.

This is what is intended to be eventually released on the stock firmware of OpenMoko phones (Neo1973 and successors). If the community develops an application of suitable usefulness and quality, it may also be included on stock firmware.

Although OpenMoko is designed for smartphones that use a stylus, it would be foolish to expect people to only operate their handsets with stylus. For this reason, some core phone-related applications will be developed with finger (as opposed to stylus navigation) in mind.

NOTE: Applications listed on this page are listing in order of priority and by phase. 0th phase is for the developers preview release in March, 1st phase is early July. 2nd phase is October... when we are ready for mass market appeal.

General Principles

All modifications are saved instantenously, there should never be a save command.

Make sure users can't make interface operation errors, or that the effects are easily reversible, instead of just notifying them of the potential consequences of their actions.

When you open a document you should be returned to the place where you were working when you last closed or save it (this is our concept of sessions).

Label buttons with adjectives, which describe the state of the object affected

Designers should seek an efficient monotonous solution to gain benefits, including ease of learning, simplicity of implementation, minimization of documentation, and lowered maintenance costs.

Whenever you find yourself specifying an error message, please stop; then redesign the interface so that the condition that generated the error message doesn't arise.

If the user gets no utility from a process, there is no reason to tell them that it is happening.

Provide unlimited levels of Undo and Redo whenever possible.

Consider adding a Trash or Deleted Items area that has everything the user has deleted. The user’s data is the most important priority. Let’s make it hard for them to lose anything and easy to recover it.

NOTE: Innovation usually happens at the bottom. What we need to do is provide consistent ways to develop and deploy applixations.

2nd Phase

Panel Applications

Panel Applications are individual executables residing in the Top Panel. They usually indicate their status and offer a pop-up menu. We are not yet sure whether there is enough screen real estate for this huge number of panel applications.

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Personal tools

Overview

This page describes the set of applications being developed by the core set of OpenMoko developers.

This is what is intended to be eventually released on the stock firmware of OpenMoko phones (Neo1973 and successors). If the community develops an application of suitable usefulness and quality, it may also be included on stock firmware.

Although OpenMoko is designed for smartphones that use a stylus, it would be foolish to expect people to only operate their handsets with stylus. For this reason, some core phone-related applications will be developed with finger (as opposed to stylus navigation) in mind.

NOTE: Applications listed on this page are listing in order of priority and by phase. 0th phase is for the developers preview release in March, 1st phase is early July. 2nd phase is October... when we are ready for mass market appeal.

General Principles

All modifications are saved instantenously, there should never be a save command.

Make sure users can't make interface operation errors, or that the effects are easily reversible, instead of just notifying them of the potential consequences of their actions.

When you open a document you should be returned to the place where you were working when you last closed or save it (this is our concept of sessions).

Label buttons with adjectives, which describe the state of the object affected

Designers should seek an efficient monotonous solution to gain benefits, including ease of learning, simplicity of implementation, minimization of documentation, and lowered maintenance costs.

Whenever you find yourself specifying an error message, please stop; then redesign the interface so that the condition that generated the error message doesn't arise.

If the user gets no utility from a process, there is no reason to tell them that it is happening.

Provide unlimited levels of Undo and Redo whenever possible.

Consider adding a Trash or Deleted Items area that has everything the user has deleted. The user’s data is the most important priority. Let’s make it hard for them to lose anything and easy to recover it.

NOTE: Innovation usually happens at the bottom. What we need to do is provide consistent ways to develop and deploy applixations.

2nd Phase

Panel Applications

Panel Applications are individual executables residing in the Top Panel. They usually indicate their status and offer a pop-up menu. We are not yet sure whether there is enough screen real estate for this huge number of panel applications.